Intro
A rather new Russian breed, the Chara or Charysh horse is an Altai Productive and aimed primarily at meat production, however they are also popular as a utility and riding animal. The breed is named for the Chara river.
Origins
Development began in the 1920’s with the goal of improving local animals by adding saddle, trotter & draft blood. The result is a larger animal that is kept in year-round natural pastures specifically for meat production. The idea was to also improve the local Siberian stock of riding animals.
The work of breeding these animals has been primarily concentrated in six farms in the Chara region of the Altai District. In terms of physique, draft crosses are considered most valuable because they were better able to hold their weight during desolate winter months.
There are three different types which fall under this breed
Desired – Those displaying the best adaptive qualities & comprises the largest numbers
Universal – A great deal of trotter blood makes them too slender they are usually mated to pure drafts or desired types.
Aboriginal – Contain a high percentage of local blood and are bred to draft crosses or large trotters for height.
All types of this breed are considered rare.
Features
Average height 14.3 – 15.2 hands
Traditional Colors
black | chestnut | bay | brown | grey
Use
Meat Production
Harness Horse
Saddle Horse